The Better Hope

"For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God."

Hebrews 7:18-19

The Law God gave Israel was good, a divine revelation of God and the standard of righteousness required to draw near to Him.  The writer of Hebrews, however, pointed out the demonstrated weakness and unprofitableness of it to perfect those who were under it.  It had no power to make a man sinless, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.  It is like a doctor who skillfully diagnoses a fatal disease but is powerless to provide a cure.  The Law was of no profit to save a man or render him rightoues, for it could only condemn.

The weakness of the Law was also displayed in the fallibility of human administration.  One does not need to delve far into the priesthood to see those who anointed and sanctified to appear before the LORD were flawed men.  Hophni and Phinehas fornicated with women at the tabernacle, and their father Eli took no action to remove them from their roles.  Abiathar the priest undermined the rule of David toward the end of his life, and Caiaphas condemned Jesus Christ the LORD to death!  There were long seasons when the temple was polluted, the doors locked, and priests were unable to serve.  Even the best priests among the sons of Aaron ultimately passed away and could not continue in their office.

God who established the Law is able to annul it as a means of drawing near to Him and provide a better hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Abraham was declared righteous by God for faith in Him before the Law existed, so it is clear the keeping of Law was not required to find grace in God's sight.  Jesus Christ is the living hope which has forever changed the way men are to approach God because He has an everlasting, unchanging priesthood of the order of Melchizedek.  The letter of the Law kills, but the Holy Spirit spiritually regenerates those who trust Christ unto eternal life.

The Law held forth blessings for the obedient and curses for the disobedient.  Every sensible person desires a blessing, and God has already blessed us with life, His love, and offer of forgiveness and salvation.  All mankind labours under the curse of sin the Law could never overcome, and praise God He has overcome sin and death.  Why should man revert back to what is weak and unprofitable in a desire to please God when we have a better hope provided by faith in Christ?  Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount referring to Law, "It has been written...but I say unto you!"  It is Jesus we are called to trust and obey who lives and gives eternal life, not the Law which can only condemn.

Respond to God's Messages

Have you ever sent an email or text to someone and never received a reply?  Sometimes a message may go to spam or we never see it, and other times the message is read and not responded to.  Not all messages require a response, but many times they do.  There are times in scripture when people cried out to God and felt forgotten by Him because they did not see an immediate response.  Without question God sees and knows all and has His good reasons for what we see as delays.  The reality is God has sent us many messages through His word communicated by the Holy Spirit we have yet to respond to.  The "ball is in our court" so to speak, and responding to God's messages is our responsibility regardless if He seems to be silent.

I was reminded yesterday how Mary and Martha sent a messenger to Jesus to tell Him their brother Lazarus was sick.  The implication is they believed Jesus cared and had the ability to heal him, as He had demonstrated this power over sickness countless times in the past.  Contrary to their expectation, Jesus did not come to them quickly.  Jesus and His disciples did not arrive in Bethany until Lazarus had been dead from his illness four days.  The sisters of Lazarus mourned their brother's passing and also their belief it was a preventable tragedy.  This is shown by Martha's statement after Jesus arrived in John 11:21:  "Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  She felt great sorrow and regret over Jesus not being there for them when they needed Him.  Is it possible we assign blame to God for not doing what we think He should when He could?

Jesus, however, was working on another level.  He had responded to the message by intentionally waiting, and it was the loving thing to do.  He truly loved Lazarus without a doubt, yet He also cared for everyone else in Bethany and those who would later believe and testify of His glory.  Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, wept and then asked for the stone to be rolled from the opening.  John 11:41-45 reads, "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him."

Jesus proved He is the Resurrection and the Life by raising Lazarus from the tomb who was dead four days.  The tragedy of the death of Lazarus worked to provide eternal life for all who trusted in Jesus Christ, having believed He was indeed the Son of God.  The power of Jesus to give life to the dead would not have been seen except Lazarus died, and Jesus knew what He would accomplish.  He also knew what He would accomplish through His death on Calvary and resurrection, proving He has power over sin and gives everlasting life for all who believe in Him.  God hears your cries, believer; He has received the message.  Have you responded to His message, this proclamation of divine power, goodness and glory?  In our troubles and trials we can look to Jesus with eyes of faith, knowing He hears, answers and draws near to all who draw near to Him.

Remember, God Doesn't Forget!

Forgetting is possible for all who can remember, and God is the only exception to this rule.  People are pretty good about remembering important things, yet it is ironic we can forget who is most important:  God!  Jeremiah 2:32 says, "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number."  It would be unheard of for a bride to forget to wear the dress she prepared to wear on her wedding day.  An aspiring employee would not forget to change out of his pajamas before a crucial interview.  God's people forgot about Him and the injustice of this error is frankly unbelievable.

God said of Zion and her people in Isaiah 49:15, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you."  It is possible for a loving mother to forget her child for a moment or lack compassion at times, but God will not forget His people.  Great consolation and comfort is found in God's remembrance of us, and He needs no reminders because we are always in His sight and in His thoughts.  God never suffers a lapse of concentration or dozes off and loses consciousness of our needs or circumstances.  God knows and He cares even if we forget about Him.

God had not forgotten His people, and He promised not to forget them in the future in Isaiah 44:21-23:  "Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! ²² I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." ²³ Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel."  God bid His people remember they would not be forgotten by Him.  God sent a Saviour Jesus Christ not only to redeem Israel but to seek and save all who come to Him in faith.  God remembers His redeemed, yet according to His justice and grace will remember our sins no more.

Let us not be negligent to thank and praise the LORD for His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.  We ought to celebrate what Jesus has done and also rejoice in all Jesus is currently doing as He intercedes to the Father on our behalf.  Man is forgetful, but God is not unrighteous to forget our labour of love towards Him and others (Hebrews 6:10).  May your face shine with delight as you rejoice in the remembrance of our God and His faithful love towards you today.

The Overwhelming Signal

Life is overwhelming, and God uses this for our advantage.  When we are relaxing on the lounge or reading a book with a hot drink we are not conscious of our need to breathe because it occurs without thinking.  When we are being pulled underwater by a rip and our mouth fills with sea water, all our wandering thoughts and dreams instantly evaporate in frantic desperation for one quick gulp of oxygen to remain conscious.  The life we receive by faith in Christ is abundant and our eyes are open and our hearts attuned to far more than previously.  Selfishness is swallowed by selflessness, and our labours and concerns for others can spread ourselves thin.

David sang in Psalm 61:1-4:  "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. ² From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.³ For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. ⁴ I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah"  David went from being a shepherd watching over his father's flock to leading a rowdy group of men as he fled for his life from his murderous father in law, king Saul.  See how 1 Samuel 22:2 describes them:  "And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him."  David was cut off from fellowship with his best friend Jonathan, his family was moved to safety in a foreign land and David for about a decade had no place to call home.

When David was overwhelmed with his life and circumstances it was a signal that prompted him to seek the LORD, the Rock of Salvation Who is a place of safety, provision and rest.  God had been a shelter for David when he guarded the flock, when he faced Goliath the Philistine and when he received tragic news which prompted others to despair.  He learned to cast his cares upon the LORD who cared for Him and by faith chose to abide in God wherever his travels led.  God for a season took away any temptation to trust in walls of stone or gates of iron so his only hope and help was in God.

A day came when David was crowned king.  Do you think life became easier for him, less overwhelming?  Not a chance!  He was first king over Judah and later became king over all Israel.  He had all the tribes to manage, a great army to command, and enemies on all sides!  What he learned in the fields of Bethlehem he continued to practice in his palace at Jerusalem, choosing to voluntarily leave when his own son Absalom rose up against him.  David willingly left the stronghold of Zion and sought refuge in the almighty, living God who had always been a refuge and strong tower for him from all enemies.

Experience is a great teacher, and take it from David:  God will hear our cries and attend to our prayers.  Only He can lead us to Himself and give us the strength and desire to abide in Him, to seek Him and hold on when we are overwhelmed.  In Him is strong consolation and we find rest for our souls.  When we hear the words of Jesus and do them, we are like one who builds a house on the rock.  No matter how great the storm or desperate our need, God will help and deliver us.  He is our refuge by faith and the Holy Spirit dwells within us.  No matter where we go we remain in Christ, God is in us and keeps us by His grace.  Being overwhelmed ought to lead to renewed trust in the LORD.